1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wheeled transporters for sailboards and surfboards, and particularly to collapsible transporters, intended for compact storage when not in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various wheeled devices have been available for some time, for use in transporting sailboards or surfboards on land, across beaches and to the water's edge for launching. These devices typically have two wheels with an axle mounted between the wheels, or may have a single wheel plus framework for supporting the board. For example, the arrangement used in U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,172 by Poulouin utilizes two wheels mounted at either end of an axle, and a fixed rigid frame on which to mount the sailboard. The wheels are relatively small and are not pneumatic, which is probably adequate on a hard paved surface, but could be troublesome on the soft sand found on many beaches. The device is not collapsible. Similarly, single wheel devices such as that used in U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,409 by Margison, require a very large `balloon` tire in order to ensure that the weight of the sailboard or boat does not cause the wheel to sink in the sand while it is being transported.
Generally, a survey of the prior art including the many dollies advertised in the surfer magazines, reveals that those devices adequate for the task are either heavy, expensive, non-collapsible or large. Thus, there exists a need for a collapsible, light, inexpensive wheeled dolly, which is capable of being collapsed into a very small package for stowing in a car trunk, and whose construction is at once light, strong, simple to fabricate and durable in use.